


Booksmart

by sichi



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Five Year Mission, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:20:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22388575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sichi/pseuds/sichi
Summary: When none of Jim’s friends are of any help to him, he turns to books. There’s only one book written on the subject of wooing Vulcans, and turns out, it’s written by the late Amanda Grayson herself.Or: Jim reads a book written by his crush’s dead mother to help him get a date with him.
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock
Comments: 24
Kudos: 137





	1. CHAPTER ONE: SOME QUICK SIMPLE TIPS TO GET YOU STARTED!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm really in this Star Trek hole now you guys...here's a fic I've been thinking about for a bit.
> 
> This won't be too long, maybe 3-4 chapters. Enjoy the ride! Hit me up on twitter @RKsoGAY

He didn’t recognize her name right away.

Amanda is a very common Terran first name for a girl, and Grayson is...bland. It’s no S’chn T’gai Spock, that’s for sure.

It didn’t actually click until after Jim read the first chapter, which, he was a little embarrassed about. Maybe it’s because he read the name  _ Sarek _ and scrolled up on the PAAD so fast that it almost fell to the floor.

_ Amanda Grayson _ . Of course. How could he have forgotten. 

He was there with Spock as he put a flower on the memorial that was made and put on New Vulcan. His mother’s name, however small, was on the plaque amongst the others who perished that day. He silently rested his hand on his friend’s shoulder for what seemed like an eternity. Jim was no touch telepath, but he could feel his friend’s grief spread through his hand like a warm fire.

Well, now, this was just pathetic. Jim had been ecstatic when he found out that there was  _ one _ book about a human courting a Vulcan, but now? He wasn’t sure he wanted to go ahead reading this.

What would Spock even think of this situation? Oh, hey there buddy, I really wanted to be in a committed monogamous relationship with you for the past oh, two years or so, and decided to get help from your mother beyond the grave! Isn’t that swell!

Jim sighed and lightly tossed the PAAD to the side of him. Maybe he’d sleep on it and decide what he wanted to do tomorrow.

\--

The thing was, Spock’s mom was a  _ great _ author.

Not only were her suggestions and pointers fantastic, but you could almost hear her speaking out loud. Her voice was strong in her prose, and she seemed to even have a funny side of her (something he was certain Spock gained from her, no matter how much he may protest). And Jim had only read the introduction chapter, not even diving into the details that would, quote, “Lead him to a successful and fulfilling relationship with a Vulcan.”

So it was only natural to keep reading the book. Jim would probably feel a bit guilty about it later, but for now, it was the only help he could find.

It had all started two years into their five year mission. After Nero, and then Khan...Kirk was just happy that they finally started doing normal missions again. In that, a routine was established, and he became very close to his first officer. After he had died and risen from the dead, Spock had been different. It was subtle, but Jim picked up on his friend’s new habits. Longer gazes at his Captain. More jokes and even a smile would crack now and then. He was being more social too, with interacting with others more and snapping a little less.

However, he noticed a distance between his first officer and his...girlfriend? He wasn’t sure. Uhura had never actually told Jim to his face what the two of them were. He didn’t think Vulcans dated casually, so whatever it was, he believed to be serious. 

Until it wasn’t.

He noticed first from Uhura. A woman who was always composed, ready for anything, had dark circles under her eyes. Every response out of her mouth was short, and she avoided eye contact with almost everyone on the bridge for a week. He had pulled her aside, as a friend, and she ended up spilling her guts in the hallway of an empty deck.

_ He said it wasn’t me, but he had to figure out things for himself, _ she has told him. Whatever that meant.

He felt bad for her, sure. He even felt a little guilty that this news gave him some sort of relief. 

After the news that his newly blooming crush was officially single, Jim could not think of anything else. Spock caught him staring at him for long periods of time, finding excuses to go talk to his first officer when it wasn’t needed, and the one short chess sessions turning into long talks about whatever was on each other’s minds.

But that’s normal, right? They were just becoming closer friends. It’s normal to want to spend every waking moment of free time with your best bud, right?

Maybe, but Jim knew that it was definitely  _ not _ normal to read your crush’s mother’s book on how to win over the heart of someone his species. 

Jim woke up exactly fifteen minutes before his alarm was set to go off. He rubbed his face and moved to prematurely shut it off, when he rolled over the PAAD he had been reading last night.

Jim sighed and took it in his hand. He turned it on, and decided he had some time to at least read past the introduction and move onto chapter one.

**CHAPTER ONE: SOME QUICK SIMPLE TIPS TO GET YOU STARTED!**

_ I’ll just read for fifteen minutes,  _ Jim thought, his eyes focusing on the bright light in his otherwise dim room.

  
  


==Congratulations, friend! You decided that you may be attracted to, have a crush on, or completely in love with a Vulcan! It might have taken you a bit to come to this realization, but I’m proud of you!==

  
  


_ Only two years, but you know. Thanks, Amanda. _

  
  


==This chapter will start off by diving into some quick tips to help you get started. As you read this book, it will take some time to fully get a grasp on the Vulcan culture and their dos and don’t. So, I figured, why not give a few helpful tips at the beginning to get you started? Get the inception of trust started, so that it may soon blossom into a beautiful and life long relationship!

Oh, did I mention that this relationship you want to enter is life long? Hope you aren’t afraid of commitment!==

  
  


Jim smiled. That comment probably would have scared him off two years ago, but, to be honest, he’s tired of waiting. If Spock came up to him today and told him he wanted to enter a lifelong bond with him, he’d start to plan the wedding immediately. Yes, he was  _ that _ whipped. 

  
  


==Now, if you want to become an expert in their diverse culture in one day, I suggest picking up another book. No, really, I do! Vulcan history is fascinating, and if you would like to get to know your special Vulcan better, reading up on their culture is a must! However, these cultural aspects I will divulge throughout the book will only focus on their  _ romantic _ side. 

And, if you’re wondering, yes, this was vetted by the Vulcan High Command before publication, so I did have to edit out. A LOT. (The Vulcans are very private about...certain things).==

So, hopefully you’ll still learn a bunch in this very, very,  _ very _ , edited version of this book.==

  
  


_ Oh man, what have I gotten myself into... _

  
  


\---

  
  


“Spock, I’m sure he just slept in, you know how he can get--”

Uhura was interrupted by the woosh of the automatic doors opening, with a very flushed looking Captain running through them. Jim’s hair was a mess, his command gold shirt was definitely on backwards, and his face looked as though he had just run a mile.

Spock clasped him hands behind his back, “Captain, I was just about to perform a check welfare on your status. Are you feeling okay?”

Jim sat in his Captain’s chair and slouched to catch his breath, “Never better, Spock. How’d I do on time?”

“You are eight and a half minutes late, Captain.”

“Aw, sweet. Less than ten minutes, can’t fault me on that.”

Uhura smiled but rolled her eyes, and turned her attention back to her controls.

“Lay it on me, Mr. Spock. What is on the agenda for today.”

Spock picked up his PAAD and approached the Captain’s chair, “A few updates on the botany lab for you, as well as a new course set that would put us ten hours ahead of schedule. If you would like, I could forward you the reports.”

Jim looked up, his eyes seemed to shine in the artificial light, “Thank you, Mr. Spock. I appreciate your punctuality and effort put into your morning briefing for me, despite my inefficiencies. I am lucky to have you by my side.”

The PAAD almost slipped out of Spock’s hands. He could hear Sulu and Chekov turn around slowly, eyeing the Captain and his first with suspicious eyes.

Jim was usually nice to Spock. It was illogical to have a sour attitude that would impede their working relationship.

But this was...different. Throughout their two years of working side by side, the Captain made sure to let Spock know when he was doing a good job. Spock was definitely not expecting to receive praise this early in his shift, and for what, updating him on two subjects?

**TIP #6 : Vulcans are a people of words. Praise, and affection shown through speech rather than touch, can be most efficient when attempting to woo a member of this species. While some Vulcans do not mind physical affection, it is guaranteed that** **_all_ ** **Vulcans appreciate feedback to their good behaviors, and praise when due.**

“T..thank you, Jim. I will forward you the reports immediately.” Spock realized how close he was standing to the Captain, and turned around to retreat almost forcefully, returning to his post. Spock’s vision narrowed to concentrate on his monitor, but he could still hear Sulu and Chekov chuckle in the background.

“You two done? How about you lead by Spock’s example and be a little more efficient this morning. Ten hours less of a drive time means less time to prep for our mission, so I expect everyone to know their assignment by the end of the shift, got it?”

“Yessir,” the two men said in unison.

Spock amounted his friend’s new behavior to be from the extra sleep he received today, nothing more. 

Although, he admitted only to himself, he wouldn’t mind if it happened a little more often.

\---

Day one of listening to the Vulcan Expert Amanda’s advice went better than expected. Spock was a bit embarrassed at the praise at first, but adapted to it a little better by the end of Alpha shift. 

Spock decided to work through lunch, so Jim decided to catch up with his Doctor friend instead.

“So, let me get this straight. You’re reading a book. Written by Spock’s dead mom.”

“Yes.”

“In hopes that her advice, from beyond the grave, will help you sleep with him.”

“Ew, Bones, gross. If I just wanted to get laid I wouldn’t need her advice.”

Bones paused as his bit into his sandwich. He looked pensive while chewing his food.

“Look, I don’t expect you to understand. You aren’t exactly Spock’s #1 fan.”

“No shit,” Bones wiped his face with a napkin and sighed heavily, “You’re ridiculous, kid. What is Spock going to say if he finds out you’re reading his mom’s weird Vulcan fetish novel?”

“ _ If _ he finds out. You should read it too, Bones. Amanda was quite the writer. And she did manage to stay married to Sarek for all those years, which, heaven knows how she managed that.”

“Now that is something I can agree with.” Bones looked around, lowering his voice, “You sure you want to go through with this? It’s Spock we’re talking about Jim. He’s scary, he’s green, he has an alien dick…”

“Aw, Bones, are you jealous? We can talk about this you know, my next book on my todo list was ‘How to Woo a Grumpy Doctor for Dummies…’”

The older man scowled and stood up from his seat, “Goodbye, Jim.”

“Don’t walk away Leonard, we can work this out! You know my heart is with you first!”

Bones dumped his tray in the proper receptacle, making sure to flip off his friend before heading out.

\---

After Alpha shift, Jim decided to head to his quarters after a quick goodbye to everyone on the bridge. He knew tonight was usually the night where Spock and him would play chess and catch up on anything personal that might be going on, but he had other plans.

**TIP #13: Play hard to get! Vulcans, although reformed, still love that ‘cat and mouse’ game. Their ancestors would literally have to fight to win their bondmate’s love, so they secretly love making your work for their attention. Make yourself obtainable, but always pull away at the last minute. If you give them too much of your time, they might bore easily. Give them just enough to be intrigued, but let them work for the rest.**

This was going to be difficult. Jim appreciated games, especially when it came to the flirting and the wanting of another person, but this? To distance himself from someone he spent almost all of his free time with? This would be a challenge.

But of course, with every challenge comes a reward. He just hoped at the end he would actually come out on top. Well, maybe not on  _ top _ …

The door to Jim’s room chimed once. It was exactly 1900 hours, and of course, Spock was punctual.

Jim decided to greet his friend right at the door. Upon the doors opening, Spock found himself face to face with his very, half naked Captain.

“Jim, I apologize, is this a bad time…”

The blonde man had on a very tight fitting set of regulation black boxer shorts on, and...that was it.

“Spock! No, of course not, come in. I was actually going to ask you something.”

Spock’s hands had not moved from behind his back. Jim noticed his eyes would linger down, then abruptly come right back up. He grinned. 

The Vulcan walked in the threshold of the room. The room looked as it usually did on one of their game nights, with the chess set on the table towards the back of the room. The only difference was Jim’s uniform discarded on the floor next to the bed. 

Jim walked over to his bed, kicking the clothes to the side, and sat down, leaning back to rest on his elbows.

“Is something the matter, Captain?” Spock looked around the room. He figured Spock thought someone else was here, but knew the Vulcan would be able to hear anyone in the small space if that were true.

“ _ Jim _ , come on now Spock, what did we talk about.”

Spock almost flinched, “You are Jim after work hours.”

“Yes! Now, I was going to ask if we could take a raincheck for tonight’s game. I feel a little…” Jim leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling, exposing his neck, “out of it today. Do you mind?”

Spock cleared his throat softly, “Of course not, Jim. However, I am…” a beat, “concerned about your behavior today. You are acting out of the ordinary.”

“Am I?” Jim smirked, sitting up, “In what way?”

Spock frowned, “You were late for your shift today, which is abnormal. Out of the 2.3 years you have been Captain of the  _ Enterprise _ , you have only been late two days, equating to 3.7 minutes. You were more than twice that in just one day.”

Jim shrugged, “Got caught up with some stuff is all, no big deal.”

“And you seem more...aloof.”

Another shrug, “Just trying a new approach to things. Do you dislike my attitude, Spock?”

“It is not an issue. It is...merely an observation.”

“Hmm,” Jim stood up, crossed his arms, and half circled around Spock, who did not move. The only movement of Spock’s body was his eyes, following his friend.

Jim stopped at the door, “Well, by all means, continue your observations. But not tonight.”

Spock took the hint and walked back to the door, not breaking eye contact from his Captain, “Goodnight, Jim.”

Jim swore Spock tried to hide a half smile on his way out.

_ Bless Lady Amanda. _


	2. CHAPTER 2: VULCAN CULTURE AND HOW TO RESPECT IT!!!!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided there will be 5 chapters to this piece. Enjoy!
> 
> (Also, if you can't tell, I'm kind of going off on a limb and writing about my perspective of Vulcans. I have read a bunch about them but some of it could be considered OOC so...I apologize but...not really :)

**_CHAPTER 2: VULCAN CULTURE AND HOW TO RESPECT IT!!!!!!_ **

One chapter down, another one to go.

Jim glanced through the first couple of pages, until his eyes met a paragraph discussing  _ touch _ . 

==Vulcans admire touch, but do not do so freely with anyone. They have to be friends, to trust someone first. It is very similar to the human term of demisexuality. One does not freely trust another with touch or sex before getting to know them. However, this is not the case with all Vulcans. Just as humans have individuals who do not follow norms, so do Vulcans. This is why, if you decide to start dating a Vulcan, you should have this conversation with them, and the earlier the better!==

So now Jim has to just. Guess if Spock is okay with him touching him.

He knew about the personal space issue Vulcans seemed to have. Jim enjoyed a brief touch now and then, a hug from a friend, but...he knew to avoid Spock. When they first met, it’s not like Jim had  _ wanted _ to touch him anyway. 

==Vulcans are very sensitive in a couple areas of their body, but for now we’ll talk about something PG: HANDS!==

Jim shifted in his position on his bed from supine to sitting up. Hands? What the hell, Mrs. Amanda.

==That’s right, hands! Hands are a Vulcan’s gateway to the mind. They can initiate a Vulcan mind meld just by touching psi points on one’s face/head with their fingers! It’s quite amazing, and even modern scientists can’t really determine what goes on when it happens. Not only can they initiate telepathy, but they are  extremely sensitive to touch. In fact, Vulcans ‘kiss’ by touching their middle and index fingers together.==

Oh, so that’s why Vulcans don’t exactly like to touch people or things. Call Jim intrigued.

He assumed the telepathy part. He had Spock’s elder counterpart do some sort of mind voodoo magic on his head. 

But for hands to be  _ that _ sensitive? He had no idea.

It’s probably the reason why, when Jim accidentally brushed his hand against the bottom of Spock’s while playing chess the other day, Spock jerked away so abruptly that the board went flying across the room.

“I...I apologize, Captain.” Jim had never seen Spock so flustered, “It must have been due to fatigue. I...wish to retire for the night.” Spock had risen from his chair and started picking up the discarded pieces on the floor.

“No worries Spock, it’s been a long day.” Jim crouched down to pick them up as well, and noticed Spock was avoiding eye contact.

“Thank you. I will see you tomorrow.” He dropped the pieces on the table and exited the room abruptly. 

So when he read the chapter about Vulcan hands, it became a  _ slight _ obsession of his. 

He of course did not want to cross any boundaries, but at the same time...he wanted to know everything about them.

To the point where Spock definitely caught him staring at his hands on a mission.

“Captain,” Spock said sternly.

Jim’s head shot up. He was staring, which was not a great time. Considering they were at a large table filled with aliens in which they were making first contact with.

“Yes, Mr. Spock?”

“I believe Lord Polkantre asked you a question, sir.”

Fuck, “Oh, of course. Could you repeat the question? I was a bit…” Jim made eye contact with Spock, “...distracted.”

Spock fidgeted in his seat and broke eye contact as soon as he could without making a scene.

I mean, he’s known him for a while now, and he would consider them friends? But ever since the chess incident, and the incident on Quadrant 4 in front of all of those people...he was becoming paranoid. Guess his obsession mutated a bit.

He accidentally bumped into him while grabbing lunch, and Jim apologized obnoxiously for two whole minutes. 

His hand brushed against his when grabbing a PAAD out of it, and this time Jim jumped. And yes, apologized, profusely. 

The third time they were alone in the botany lab. Spock was showing Jim his new favorite hybrid of a species they had picked up on some planet Jim already forgot the name of, when he realized they were standing  _ really _ close.

“Dammit Spock, I’m sorry, I didn’t even notice…” Jim took two large steps to his right, to make a large gap between the two of them.

Spock frowned deeply, “To what are you referring to?”

Jim rolled his eyes, “Don’t give me that, I keep invading your space recently! I know that Vulcans don’t really  _ do _ touch, so I just wanted to...give you space.”

Ah, oh course, the eyebrow raise, “Which Vulcans say that?”

Jim shrugged, “I don’t know, lots of them? Isn’t that a common thread among your people?”

“Jim,” Spock took a step towards him, “you have not been concerned about this…’issue’...before. Why the recent change?”

He knew his face was turning red, so Jim turned it slightly, facing away from Spock, “Er, no reason. I just wanted to respect your boundaries.”

“I appreciate that, but I can assure you,” One more step towards Jim, “Your touch does not bother me.”

He might as well said,  _ Jim, let’s make out here in this humid as fuck plant room _ , but Jim restrained himself. He decided to make eye contact with Spock, which was definitely a bad idea. His eyes almost seemed to turn dark in the already dimly lit room. He was now close enough to feel his breath.

“I will see you later, Jim.” Spock broke away from the trance and exited the room. 

Jim was starting to spot a theme of Spock exiting at inopportune times. Maybe it was time to change that and step up his game a bit.

\------

But before Jim could get a chance to even come up with a plan, nevermind follow through with it, shit hits the fan. Literally. 

The explosion could have been heard from any deck. It was loud, and the  _ Enterprise _ shook violently. Sirens alerted others in the background, and Jim’s head felt dizzy.

He found his communicator in his pocket, his mind still hazy from sleep, “Kirk to Scotty, what the hell was that?”

“Scotty here,” the sirens seemed to get louder, “You better get down here. We’ve got a few injuries, looks like a malfunction in the --”

“I’ll be right there.” Jim threw on clothes and headed for the engine room, hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.

After a few minutes, he made it down to the engine room and it quite literally looked like a bomb went off. Thankfully, it did not look like there were any breaches to the outside, and considering they were in space right now, that would have not been a good thing.

A good sized fire was being put out by a few ensigns. Two young looking red shirts had cuts on their heads, and were being helped to their feet. Bones had beat him down there.

“God damn it Jim, what the hell is going on? One minute we’re cruising at warp one, the next I hear this loud noise!” 

“You’re going to have to as Mr. Scott, I’m going to try and--”

Spock. What was he doing down here? He was currently helping one of the young ensigns get to her feet, walking towards Bones. Dermal regenerator in hand, Bones just nodded to Jim and walked towards the struggling girl and half human walking towards him.

“Thank you, Mr. Spock, I’m okay,” the girl said softly, her hand not leaving his upper arm.

“Alright kid, let me triage you, then report to the medical bay. You’re not going to be the only patient I see this morning.”

Spock looked at Jim, “Captain, I assure you everything is okay. Mr. Scott is currently working on repairs, and tells me that it was a minor explosion. Only those within ten feet of the reactor were injured, and they are minor injuries.

“I’ll be the boss of that,” Bones said, waving his hand in Spock's direction, “Now shoo, I have work to do. Go roundup anyone who might need me and tell them to report to med bay. Maybe comm Nurse Chapel and wake her ass up.”

“Acknowledged,” Spock said, turning around to fetch another injured ensign.

Jim noticed a drop of blood trickling down Spock’s right hand. 

Following him close, Jim asked, “What’s wrong with your hand, Spock?”

“Nothing, Captain. I have a job to do right now.”

“No you don’t,” Jim put his hand on his friend’s right shoulder, stopping him from moving forward, “You just told me everyone had minor injuries, and the repair, which you are not trained to do, is being looked after. I outrank Bones and I’m telling you to stop for a second.”

Spock stopped, looking at his blue-eyed captain, “It’s fine, just a scratch.”

Jim held his hand up. Spock sighed and placed his hand, palm up, in Jim’s.

It was a deep laceration, spreading from one side of his palm to the other.

“Jesus Spock, this isn’t just a scratch! This might get infected, you need to--”

“No,” Spock clenched his hand and put it back at his side, “I will deal with this later.”

“Bullshit,” Jim grabbed Spock’s right wrist, “open. Now.”

Spock frowned but did what he was told. 

“Stay,” Jim ran back over to Bones, stole some equipment, was yelled at by Bones, and hurried back towards Spock, who was standing exactly where Jim left him.

“Sit.” He gestured to a seat. The room still smelled like smoke, but the fires were all put out. And by the way Scotty was yelling at other people and laughing, he could tell he was not needed anywhere else at the moment.

Spock sat on the vacant bench and Jim sat next to him, their legs touching. Jim had stolen antiseptic and some gauze, primitive medical equipment that required much contact to administer. Not that Jim was thinking about that or anything.

“Give me your hand. If you’re not going to let Bones look at it right now, you’ll at least allow me to patch it up until you can see him before the end of the day.”

“Fine.”

Spock slowly opened his hand and let Jim get to work. He softly dabbed the hand with a sterile piece of gauze, rinsing it with the antiseptic. Spock winced but did not retreat his hand. 

Jim frowned. He knew how painful this must be for him.

“I’m sorry, Spock. I should have stolen something for the pain…”

Spock’s eyes went soft, “It is tolerable. Thank you for your consideration.”

Jim nodded and quickly, yet still softly, cleaned the wound. 

“How did you do this anyway? Why were you down here at this hour?”

Without taking his eyes off of his hand, Spock replied, “I could not sleep.”

Jim finished the cleaning, and put a fresh piece of gauze in the middle of his hand. Before wrapping it up, he lightly pressed the tips of his fingers to Spock’s. 

An invitation. 

Time froze for only a moment. Spock tensed up, but when he looked at Jim’s face, he knew this was no accident this time.

Spock completed the Vulcan kiss. Even with his hand pulsing with pain, the pleasure of Jim’s fingers on his was overwhelming.

“Is this okay?” Jim said softly.

“Yes,” Spock answered quickly.

Jim smiled, “Good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the wonderful comments...you guys really keep me going!


End file.
